Vehicular vision and alert system

ABSTRACT

A vehicular vision and alert system includes a camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle so as to have a field of view forward of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along a traffic lane of a road. As the vehicle travels along the road, the system may determine, via processing by an image processor of image data captured by the camera, traffic traveling along another traffic lane and may generate a traffic alert indicative of the determined traffic. As the vehicle travels along the road, the system may determine, via processing of captured image data, a vehicle accident involving another vehicle and may transmit an accident alert communication to a remote system. As the vehicle travels along the road, the system may determine, via processing of captured image data, a traffic jam index representative of a degree of traffic traveling along the other traffic lane.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/042,050, filed Jul. 23, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,482,762,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/996,570,filed Jan. 15, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,032,369, which claims thefiling benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/103,591,filed Jan. 15, 2015, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle vision system for avehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicle vision system that utilizesone or more cameras at a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known.Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,949,331; 5,670,935 and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. Also, communication systems forvehicles may provide for communication between vehicles and/or between avehicle and a remote server. Such car2car or vehicle to vehicle (V2V)and vehicle-to-infrastructure (car2X or V2X or V2I or 4G or 5G)technology provides for communication between vehicles and/orinfrastructure based on information provided by one or more vehiclesand/or information provided by a remote server or the like. Examples ofsuch systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,580,795, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a vision system or imaging system for avehicle that utilizes one or more cameras (preferably one or more CMOScameras) to capture image data representative of images exterior of theequipped vehicle, and provides a determination of a traffic condition ator near the equipped vehicle and an alert to a remote server or cloud(such as via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link or avehicle-to-infrastructure communication link or 4G/LTE/5G link) when thedetermined traffic condition is above a threshold level or periodicallyupdate the traffic condition to the cloud service, and this informationcould be used by other vehicles or users of the cloud service. Theremote system may communicate an alert to other vehicles (such as othervehicles associated with the alert system of the present invention) toalert the other drivers of the traffic jam condition.

The communication from the equipped vehicle to the remote server mayinclude geographical location information (such as responsive to a GPSsystem of the vehicle), whereby the alert communication from the remotesystem to the other vehicles may only be communicated to other vehicleswithin a threshold vicinity of the equipped vehicle and the determinedtraffic condition. For example, the alert communication may becommunicated to vehicles within a threshold distance from the locationof the equipped vehicle or vehicles following a navigation route thatapproaches the location of the equipped vehicle. The vision system mayautomatically detect an accident scenario and update the cloud servicewith the type of accident and location of the accident.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of thepresent invention will become apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a vision system thatincorporates cameras in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the vision system with traffic monitoringand traffic alert functions in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with the system of thepresent invention with the vehicle shown in a high traffic condition;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with the system of thepresent invention with the vehicle shown capturing image datarepresentative of a high traffic condition in a lane with vehiclestraveling in a direction opposite to the equipped vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with the system of thepresent invention with the vehicle shown capturing image datarepresentative of a collision of two other vehicles ahead of theequipped vehicle; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the vision system with traffic jamdetermination in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A vehicle vision system and/or driver assist system and/or objectdetection system and/or alert system operates to capture images exteriorof the vehicle and may process the captured image data to display imagesand to detect objects at or near the vehicle and in the predicted pathof the vehicle, such as to assist a driver of the vehicle in maneuveringthe vehicle in a rearward direction. The vision system includes an imageprocessor or image processing system that is operable to receive imagedata from one or more cameras and provide an output to a display devicefor displaying images representative of the captured image data.Optionally, the vision system may provide a top down or bird's eye orsurround view display and may provide a displayed image that isrepresentative of the subject vehicle, and optionally with the displayedimage being customized to at least partially correspond to the actualsubject vehicle.

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depictedtherein, a vehicle 10 (the subject vehicle or SV) includes an imagingsystem or vision system 12 that includes at least one exterior facingimaging sensor or camera, such as a rearward facing imaging sensor orcamera 14 a (and the system may optionally include multiple exteriorfacing imaging sensors or cameras, such as a forwardly facing camera 14b at the front (or at the windshield) of the vehicle, and asidewardly/rearwardly facing camera 14 c, 14 d at respective sides ofthe vehicle), which captures images exterior of the vehicle, with thecamera having a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array orimaging plane or imager of the camera (FIG. 1). The vision system 12includes a control or electronic control unit (ECU) or processor 18 thatis operable to process image data captured by the cameras and mayprovide displayed images at a display device 16 for viewing by thedriver of the vehicle (although shown in FIG. 1 as being part of orincorporated in or at an interior rearview mirror assembly 20 of thevehicle, the control and/or the display device may be disposed elsewhereat or in the vehicle). The data transfer or signal communication fromthe camera to the ECU may comprise any suitable data or communicationlink, such as a vehicle network bus or the like of the equipped vehicle.

The traffic jam monitor and update module of the present invention isconnected to a plurality of vehicle cameras, including a windshieldcamera 101 and other exterior viewing cameras 105 (SV cameras), and isconnected to a vehicle network bus 109 (such as a vehicle CAN bus) and aremote service 110, such as a cloud service) using high speed data 108(4G/LTE/5G)//V2X link 115, such as shown in FIG. 2. The module or systemmay include a control or ECU 106 that is in communication with thewindshield camera 101 via a link or connection 114 and with the other SVcameras 105 via respective links or connections 107. The control mayalso communicate via a designated short range communication (DSRC) forthe V2V or V2X link 115. The cloud service 110 communicates with otherdevices, such as a mobile device or smart phone 112 and other vehicles111 (via wireless communication links 113).

Using the windshield and SV cameras (which may include sideward viewingcameras and/or rearward viewing cameras or the like), the traffic jammonitor and update (TJMU) algorithm detects traffic jam situation viaimage processing of image data captured by the vehicle cameras.

The TJMU algorithm utilizes the captured image data and the drivingpattern of the subject vehicle (such as the SV braking, accelerating andvehicle speed, pitch, yaw, roll and/or the like) and computes a trafficjam index between 0-10, where 0 is representative of a very low trafficjam (little to no traffic) and 10 is high (many vehicles on the roadbeing traveled by the SV).

The TJMU algorithm and system transmits the SV location information(such as using a GPS system of the subject vehicle to determine the SVlocation) and the determined traffic jam index at real time using thehigh speed data link or V2X link to provide a real time traffic alertcloud service.

Subscribed users (users of mobile devices or vehicles 206, such as theuser of the vehicle (SV) in FIG. 3) for the real time traffic alertcloud service then receive the real time alert of the traffic situation.The subscribed users may only receive the alerts if the particular useris at or near or approaching the determined traffic jam location (suchas within two miles of the traffic jam location or within a mile of thetraffic jam location or within a ½ mile of the traffic jam location orthereabouts) or is following a navigation route that intersects orapproaches the determined traffic jam location.

In many situations, it will be better if the users are alerted of atraffic jam in the freeway in advance before the user enters thefreeway. As can be seen with reference to FIG. 4, the TJMU algorithm ofthe present invention (as shown in the subject vehicle SV) may beoperable to detect a traffic jam condition of oncoming traffic 204 inthe freeway using the windshield camera 101 and may generate an alertand communicate the alert using the V2X (such as V2V or V2I) link toalert the traffic that is about to enter the freeway. The system maydetermine a traffic jam or traffic condition or accident involving othervehicles on another road or lane near the road being traveled by thevehicle, such as on lanes of a highway or freeway with traffic moving inthe opposite direction of the subject vehicle, or other vehicles onanother road that intersects the road being traveled by the subjectvehicle.

Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 5, the TJMU algorithm may detectan accident scenario 203 (such as an accident involving one or moreother vehicles in a lane 202 adjacent to the lane 201 traveled by thesubject vehicle SV) utilizing the windshield camera 101 and may updatethe information to the cloud in real time along with the GPS locationinformation. For example, an accident alert or communication (pertainingto a determined accident involving another vehicle or vehicles) may beperiodically transmitted to the remote server or cloud to provideupdates on the accident or traffic condition. The accident alert mayinclude information pertaining to the accident, including geographicallocation information pertaining to the location of the accident (such asdetermined via a GPS system of the vehicle).

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 6, the module 116 determines thetraffic jam scenario depending on the driving pattern of the driver(such as application of the vehicle brake pedal or accelerator pedal andthe vehicle speed, pitch, yaw and/or roll, such as may be determined byone or more sensors of the vehicle) with respect to the speed limitinformation, and outputs the traffic jam index output 118. The trafficflow and accident scenario determination module 117 utilizes thewindshield camera and surround view system camera and determines thetraffic jam index 119. The traffic jam intensity detector module 121fuses the outputs of the modules 116, 117, and generates the finaltraffic jam intensity index 122 which will be transmitted to the cloudor V2X infrastructure via V2X/Cloud interface 123 in real-time. Thetraffic alert may be periodically transmitted to provide updates as tothe traffic jam level or index (such as current speed of travel ofvehicles in the traffic jam or the like), with the updates including thecurrent geographical location of the vehicle and traffic jam. Responsiveto a determination of an accident by the module 117, the accident may bereported via communication 120 to the cloud or V2X infrastructure viaV2X/Cloud interface 123.

Thus, the present invention provides a system that determines a trafficcondition ahead of and on the road being traveled by the equippedvehicle and, if the determined traffic condition is indicative of athreshold level of a traffic jam (such as, for example, if the trafficrating or index is above a 5), the system generates a communication viathe V2I link to the remote server or service, whereby other users of thesystem may receive an alert of the traffic jam condition. For example,another user may receive the alert if the other user is at or near thetraffic jam location or following a selected path towards the trafficjam location or the like. The system may also utilize a V2Vcommunication link to communicate immediate traffic jam conditions tovehicles in the vicinity of the equipped vehicle, such as to alert thedrivers of other vehicles of a traffic jam on a highway, so that theother drivers can avoid entering the on-ramp of the highway.

The vehicle communication systems may utilize aspects of the systemsdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,690,268; 6,693,517; 7,156,796 and/or7,580,795, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2012-0218412,US-2012-0062743, US-2015-0158499; US-2015-0124096 and/orUS-2015-0352953, which are all hereby incorporated herein by referencein their entireties.

The camera or sensor may comprise any suitable camera or sensor.Optionally, the camera may comprise a “smart camera” that includes theimaging sensor array and associated circuitry and image processingcircuitry and electrical connectors and the like as part of a cameramodule, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systems described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2013/081984 and/or WO 2013/081985,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The system includes an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by the camera or cameras, such as for detecting objects orother vehicles or pedestrians or the like in the field of view of one ormore of the cameras. For example, the image processor may comprise anEYEQ2 or EYEQ3 image processing chip available from Mobileye VisionTechnologies Ltd. of Jerusalem, Israel, and may include object detectionsoftware (such as the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,855,755;7,720,580 and/or 7,038,577, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties), and may analyze image data to detectvehicles and/or other objects. Responsive to such image processing, andwhen an object or other vehicle is detected, the system may generate analert to the driver of the vehicle and/or may generate an overlay at thedisplayed image to highlight or enhance display of the detected objector vehicle, in order to enhance the driver's awareness of the detectedobject or vehicle or hazardous condition during a driving maneuver ofthe equipped vehicle.

The vehicle may include any type of sensor or sensors, such as imagingsensors or radar sensors or lidar sensors or ladar sensors or ultrasonicsensors or the like. The imaging sensor or camera may capture image datafor image processing and may comprise any suitable camera or sensingdevice, such as, for example, a two dimensional array of a plurality ofphotosensor elements arranged in at least 640 columns and 480 rows (atleast a 640×480 imaging array, such as a megapixel imaging array or thelike), with a respective lens focusing images onto respective portionsof the array. The photosensor array may comprise a plurality ofphotosensor elements arranged in a photosensor array having rows andcolumns. Preferably, the imaging array has at least 300,000 photosensorelements or pixels, more preferably at least 500,000 photosensorelements or pixels and more preferably at least 1 million photosensorelements or pixels. The imaging array may capture color image data, suchas via spectral filtering at the array, such as via an RGB (red, greenand blue) filter or via a red/red complement filter or such as via anRCC (red, clear, clear) filter or the like. The logic and controlcircuit of the imaging sensor may function in any known manner, and theimage processing and algorithmic processing may comprise any suitablemeans for processing the images and/or image data.

For example, the vision system and/or processing and/or camera and/orcircuitry may utilize aspects described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,005,974;5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,796,094; 5,949,331; 6,222,447; 6,302,545;6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202; 6,201,642; 6,690,268;6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452; 6,822,563; 6,891,563;6,946,978; 7,859,565; 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 6,636,258; 7,145,519;7,161,616; 7,230,640; 7,248,283; 7,295,229; 7,301,466; 7,592,928;7,881,496; 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 6,882,287; 5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772,which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties. The system may communicate with other communication systemsvia any suitable means, such as by utilizing aspects of the systemsdescribed in International Publication Nos. WO 2010/144900; WO2013/043661 and/or WO 2013/081985, and/or U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,525, whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The imaging device and control and image processor and any associatedillumination source, if applicable, may comprise any suitablecomponents, and may utilize aspects of the cameras and vision systemsdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,877,897; 6,498,620; 5,670,935;5,796,094; 6,396,397; 6,806,452; 6,690,268; 7,005,974; 7,937,667;7,123,168; 7,004,606; 6,946,978; 7,038,577; 6,353,392; 6,320,176;6,313,454 and/or 6,824,281, and/or International Publication Nos. WO2010/099416; WO 2011/028686 and/or WO 2013/016409, and/or U.S. Pat.Publication No. US 2010-0020170, which are all hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. The camera or cameras maycomprise any suitable cameras or imaging sensors or camera modules, andmay utilize aspects of the cameras or sensors described in U.S.Publication No. US-2009-0244361 and/or U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,542,451;7,965,336 and/or 7,480,149, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties. The imaging array sensor may comprise anysuitable sensor, and may utilize various imaging sensors or imagingarray sensors or cameras or the like, such as a CMOS imaging arraysensor, a CCD sensor or other sensors or the like, such as the typesdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 5,715,093;5,877,897; 6,922,292; 6,757,109; 6,717,610; 6,590,719; 6,201,642;6,498,620; 5,796,094; 6,097,023; 6,320,176; 6,559,435; 6,831,261;6,806,452; 6,396,397; 6,822,563; 6,946,978; 7,339,149; 7,038,577;7,004,606; 7,720,580 and/or 7,965,336, and/or International PublicationNos. WO 2009/036176 and/or WO 2009/046268, which are all herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The camera module and circuit chip or board and imaging sensor may beimplemented and operated in connection with various vehicularvision-based systems, and/or may be operable utilizing the principles ofsuch other vehicular systems, such as a vehicle headlamp control system,such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,796,094; 6,097,023;6,320,176; 6,559,435; 6,831,261; 7,004,606; 7,339,149 and/or 7,526,103,which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties, a rain sensor, such as the types disclosed in commonlyassigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,353,392; 6,313,454; 6,320,176 and/or7,480,149, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties, a vehicle vision system, such as a forwardly, sidewardly orrearwardly directed vehicle vision system utilizing principles disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,949,331;6,222,447; 6,302,545; 6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202;6,201,642; 6,690,268; 6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452;6,822,563; 6,891,563; 6,946,978 and/or 7,859,565, which are all herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a trailer hitchingaid or tow check system, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,005,974, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, a reverse or sideward imaging system, such as for a lanechange assistance system or lane departure warning system or for a blindspot or object detection system, such as imaging or detection systems ofthe types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,881,496; 7,720,580; 7,038,577;5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties, a video device for internal cabinsurveillance and/or video telephone function, such as disclosed in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 6,690,268 and/or 7,370,983, and/or U.S.Publication No. US-2006-0050018, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties, a traffic sign recognition system, asystem for determining a distance to a leading or trailing vehicle orobject, such as a system utilizing the principles disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,396,397 and/or 7,123,168, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties, and/or the like.

Optionally, the vision system may include a display for displayingimages captured by one or more of the imaging sensors for viewing by thedriver of the vehicle while the driver is normally operating thevehicle. Optionally, for example, the vision system may include a videodisplay device that utilizes aspects of the display systems described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240; 6,329,925; 7,855,755; 7,626,749; 7,581,859;7,446,650; 7,370,983; 7,338,177; 7,274,501; 7,255,451; 7,195,381;7,184,190; 5,668,663; 5,724,187; 7,329,013; 7,308,341; 7,289,037;7,249,860; 7,004,593; 6,690,268; 4,546,551; 5,699,044; 4,953,305;5,576,687; 5,632,092; 5,677,851; 5,708,410; 5,737,226; 5,802,727;5,878,370; 6,087,953; 6,173,508; 6,222,460; 6,513,252 and/or 6,642,851,which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties. Optionally, the vision system (utilizing the forward facingcamera and a rearward facing camera and other cameras disposed at thevehicle with exterior fields of view) may be part of or may provide adisplay of a top-down view or birds-eye view system of the vehicle or asurround view at the vehicle, such as by utilizing aspects of the visionsystems described in International Publication Nos. WO 2010/099416; WO2011/028686; WO 2012/075250; WO 2013/019795; WO 2012/075250; WO2012/145822; WO 2013/081985; WO 2013/086249 and/or WO 2013/109869,and/or U.S. Publication No. US-2012-0162427, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments canbe carried out without departing from the principles of the invention,which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent lawincluding the doctrine of equivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicular vision and alert system, saidvehicular vision and alert system comprising: a camera disposed at awindshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alertsystem, said camera having a field of view through the windshield andforward of the equipped vehicle in a direction of forward travel of theequipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane ofa freeway or divided highway, wherein the field of view encompassesmultiple traffic lanes of the freeway or divided highway along which theequipped vehicle is traveling; an image processor operable to processimage data captured by said camera; wherein, via processing by saidimage processor of image data captured by said camera as the equippedvehicle travels along the traffic lane of the freeway or dividedhighway, said vehicular vision and alert system determines traffictraveling along another traffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes ofthe freeway or divided highway in a direction opposite to the directionof forward travel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicletravels along the traffic lane of the freeway or divided highway; andwherein, when the equipped vehicle is traveling along the freeway ordivided highway, and responsive at least in part to the determinedtraffic traveling along the other traffic lane, said vehicular visionand alert system generates a traffic alert indicative of the determinedtraffic traveling along the other traffic lane.
 2. The vehicular visionand alert system of claim 1, wherein said vehicular vision and alertsystem transmits the traffic alert to a remote system.
 3. The vehicularvision and alert system of claim 2, wherein the traffic alert istransmitted to the remote system via a vehicle-to-infrastructurecommunication link.
 4. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 2,wherein the traffic alert is transmitted to the remote system via abroadband cellular network.
 5. The vehicular vision and alert system ofclaim 2, wherein the traffic alert is transmitted to the remote systemvia a 5G broadband cellular network.
 6. The vehicular vision and alertsystem of claim 2, wherein the remote system transmits the receivedtraffic alert to other vehicles that are at least one selected from thegroup consisting of (i) traveling along the other traffic lane and (ii)approaching the determined traffic.
 7. The vehicular vision and alertsystem of claim 2, wherein the remote system transmits the receivedtraffic alert to other vehicles via a vehicle-to-infrastructurecommunication link.
 8. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 2,wherein the remote system transmits the received traffic alert to othervehicles that are following a navigation route that approaches thegeographical location of the determined traffic.
 9. The vehicular visionand alert system of claim 2, wherein the traffic alert is transmitted toother vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.
 10. Thevehicular vision and alert system of claim 2, wherein the traffic alertincludes location information pertaining to a current geographicallocation of the equipped vehicle.
 11. A vehicular vision and alertsystem, said vehicular vision and alert system comprising: a cameradisposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicularvision and alert system, said camera having a field of view through thewindshield and forward of the equipped vehicle in a direction of forwardtravel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along atraffic lane of a road, wherein the field of view encompasses multipletraffic lanes of the road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling;an image processor operable to process image data captured by saidcamera; wherein, via processing by said image processor of image datacaptured by said camera as the equipped vehicle travels along thetraffic lane of the road, said vehicular vision and alert systemdetermines a vehicle accident involving another vehicle; and wherein,responsive at least in part to determination, via processing by saidimage processor of image data captured by said camera, of the vehicleaccident, said vehicular vision and alert system transmits an accidentalert communication to a remote system.
 12. The vehicular vision andalert system of claim 11, wherein other vehicles traveling along anothertraffic lane of the multiple traffic lanes are traveling in a directionopposite to the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle asthe equipped vehicle travels along the traffic lane of the road, andwherein the determined vehicle accident is along the other traffic lane.13. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 11, wherein,responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor ofimage data captured by said camera as the equipped vehicle travels alongthe traffic lane of the road, said vehicular vision and alert systemdetermines a traffic condition on another road being traveled by othervehicles.
 14. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 11, whereinthe accident alert communication includes information pertaining to thegeographical location of the determined vehicle accident.
 15. Thevehicular vision and alert system of claim 14, wherein the remote systemtransmits the accident alert communication to other vehicles that are ator near or approaching the geographical location of the determinedvehicle accident.
 16. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 11,wherein the remote system transmits the accident alert communication toother vehicles near the geographical location of the determined vehicleaccident via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.
 17. The vehicularvision and alert system of claim 11, wherein the remote system transmitsthe accident alert communication to other vehicles that are following anavigation route that approaches the geographical location of thedetermined vehicle accident.
 18. A vehicular vision and alert system,said vehicular vision and alert system comprising: a camera disposed ata windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision and alertsystem, said camera having a field of view through the windshield andforward of the equipped vehicle in a direction of forward travel of theequipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a traffic lane ofa road, wherein the field of view encompasses multiple traffic lanes ofthe road along which the equipped vehicle is traveling; wherein othervehicles traveling along another traffic lane of the multiple trafficlanes are traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of forwardtravel of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along thetraffic lane of the road; an image processor operable to process imagedata captured by said camera; and wherein, via processing by said imageprocessor of image data captured by said camera as the equipped vehicletravels along the traffic lane of the road, said vehicular vision andalert system determines a traffic jam index representative of a degreeof traffic traveling along the other traffic lane.
 19. The vehicularvision and alert system of claim 18, wherein, responsive at least inpart to the determined traffic jam index being greater than a thresholdlevel of traffic, said vehicular vision and alert system transmits atraffic alert communication to a remote system, and wherein the trafficalert communication is indicative of the determined traffic jam index.20. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, wherein thetraffic alert communication includes location information pertaining toa current geographical location of the equipped vehicle.
 21. Thevehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, wherein the traffic alertcommunication includes location information pertaining to thegeographical location of the determined traffic traveling along theother traffic lane.
 22. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim19, wherein the remote system transmits the received traffic alertcommunication to other vehicles that are approaching the geographicallocation of the determined traffic traveling along the other trafficlane.
 23. The vehicular vision and alert system of claim 19, wherein theremote system transmits the received traffic alert communication toother vehicles that are following a navigation route that approaches thegeographical location of the determined traffic traveling along theother traffic lane.